Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-23
TIE PHILADELPHIA CELEBRA
TON,

should Join the Quaker City, in spirit al
least. Many thousands will flock to the
cradle OF Iberty;" the streets and
houses will lie throDged; all manner OF
industries and associations will make die
plays, and vie with esch other in attrsct-
ing attention snd winning praise; nags
and bunting will nutter in the breezcs or
!epend languitlY in stiiloess; speeches
will be made by eloquent orators to list
ening thousands, and the outlying war
ships viii salute the setting and the ris-
ing sun with the sUllen roar Of ertIllery.
Everything that the Ingenuity, wealth,
patriotism and pride of . spirited people
can suggest, purchase or inspire viii be
lsvished to fttiugly commemorate the
occasion and mark the day and time as
an epoch in the oountry's history. It il
not alone those whose circumstances Will
enable them 70 attend the celebration who
will join in rendering homage 70 the God
dess of Liberty.
Ia every csrner Of TIE land men and
women who have learned the story Of the
freedom which they enjoy will take few
hours in which to consider its causes AMI
rejoice il its existence. What we know
generally is that the constitution WAS
considered necessary sin order to form
more perfect union, establish courts OF
justice, ensure domestic tranquility, pro
vide for the common defense, promote
the general welfare, and secure the bless
ings Of liberty TO ourselves and our pos
terity," but few take the trouble to Sc
riously consider the causes which led TO
this meeting or speculate upon
WHIST would have been the fate
of this country had those dele
gates failed 10 agree en- form
Of government. The Declaration Of hide
pendegce had startled the world, and
the war OF the rebellion had been fought
aad won. The rulers sent over to govern
this country with TIE baYonet and sword
had been forced TO fee. Ind.vidusl lib
erty was gained, state sovereignty and
independence won, while, for 6 national
government, anarchy pure and simple
reigned, restrained, not always success
fully, by the COED sense and patriotism
of the people. Various schemes OF
federation hsd been proposed, tyied
and abandoned. States whose tndl-
vidusl citizens had purchased lib
erty at so great price we're
unwilling to surrender any portion
Of that liberty or concede any of
the power gained, to central govern
ment. OGe or two states nigh, nor and
then, agree to act together for defense
against the Indians, but were CONNER
cislly enemies at the same time Each
state conducted Itself IS though it was
an Independent nation and obeYed the
Confederated Congress only when the
mandates OF that body entirely suited it.
There was power snd wealth aud liberty,
BUT no machinery to give them C0ncen-
trated direction, or to protect or perpet-
uate these blessings. central govern
ment vas needed in order that the
newborn nation might take It's place
among the nations of the earth. England
was chasing cur commerce from the seas,
and the hist had to be passed around in the
churches whenever the liberty of one Of
our citizens had to be purchased from o
third-rate power. a stronger govern
ment was demanded, but how secure il?
The foolish belief in "the divine right of
kings'' mad been dissipsted, end people
went TO the other extreme OF wanting no
government at ell, save one C!umslly pat
termed after the community system OF the
agricultural portions Of inland Russia.
In frenzy Of delight and exultRtion over
the triumph achieved in throwing Q # q
foreign yoke, future government was IN
thought Of; or, where il was considered,
it was merely state sovereignty run msd.
Stste taxed and fairfield the product Of
state; selfsbness and the lust for COM
mercial supremacy ran riot until the fear
Of foreign oppression gave way to the
fear Of internal chaos. Nothing could be
doLe to strengthen the central govern
ment without beginning in the new. The
vote of one state vas sufficient to defeat
the most salutary provision under the
old confederation system. What was
done had TO be undope and what was
more, people had to be educated by the
voices ard pens of those ilustrious
statesmen whose names, many OF them ct
least, sre appended to the constitution,
to TIE necessity and expediency Ct con-
slructing a new form Of government.
When Washington was elected chair
man the outlook was indeed IN
promising. OF the thirteen states
only eleven had sent delegates ana
these were tardy about arriving. The
anxious intrepidity of those pioneers who
we're trsversing the heretofore untrodden
forests Of legislation may well be i'm
sgined. They had not only to create a
form OF government, 'but one wholly dif-
ferent from an others. They were not to
be aided by the mutations of time, the